How to make productivity tips work

Notes by congerdesign

Today I'm only going for a "quick tip" kind of post, since I spent almost the entire day cleaning out the garage. (It was needed, but I'm so happy we finally did it after having it super-messy for more than a year.)

On topic: I happened to stumble upon this article today: Why Most Productivity Tips Fail (and How to Overcome That) So, what are the biggest take-aways from this article?

I think it's great to keep the important points of this in mind before you start setting goals, so it's only natural to post this as one of the first articles. :)

Combined with some prior knowledge, these are the important points I got from it:

• Learn the underlying principle, not only the tool
  One reason why some productivity tips fail to help you: not all techniques work for everyone. If you try out a tool and it doesn't suit you, you might think you're doing it wrong, but often it is not the case. Change the system or try something different altogether! To do this efficiently, it helps to understand the principle on which the techniques are based though.
  
• Don't try too much at once
  Habits need time to change, and if you try to do everything at the same time, at least something will fail. And you might feel bad about it and give up. I have to admit that I also still need to work on this. Be patient. Consistency is what counts.
  
  Another tip comes only later in the article, but basically falls under the same category: keep it simple and try to focus on 1 goal you want to achieve. If you manage to spend more time on only 1 topic, you'll see more progress faster, and stay motivated!
  
• Remove tasks from your life before adding new ones
  Do you feel stressed because you have a job, housework, a partner, kids and who-knows-what-else to take care of? Do you feel like you don't have enough energy? That problem is not going to solve itself if you just add exercise and meditation on top of all your tasks. Before you can create new habits, you need to make room (time) in your life. What tasks can you remove from your life?
  
• Remember you are not a machine
  You can't be productive all the time. Don't forget to take breaks, otherwise you'll just become stressed out. The need to relax is not a sign of failure, it just means you are human. Listen to your body and enjoy downtime without feeling guilty.

For the entire article, head over to EnvatoTuts+. They have great tutorials on lots of topics, so make sure to look around and expand your mind! :)

Until next time!